The dad of two and his 36-man team were on a routine morning patrol near Nad-e Ali in ­Afghanistan’s Helmand province when they came under fire from two machine guns. As six grenades exploded around them the squaddies hit the ground.

The recce platoon sergeant, from Dundee, who has been serving for 12 years, helped rally the troops to the nearest cover where they came under fire from rocket-propelled grenades.

As the battle raged, Sgt Leslie, 30, from the Black Watch 3rd Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland, realised two men had been left behind and were under an “enormous weight of fire”.

So he sprinted more than 150 metres, grabbed his men and led them to safety.

He said: “They couldn’t hear because of the noise. I grabbed them and got them back to cover.”

And he added: “Every time you are shot at it takes a wee bit out of you but I had to get the guys back. I’d do it all again.”